Opportunities and Challenges of Community-based Natural Resource Management: The case of Forest Conservation in Kedjom Keku, North West Region of Cameroon

Abstract

Globally, the stewardship and use of forested land are increasingly recognized as essential to climate change mitigation and adaptation. However, rapid population growth, urbanization and the intensification and extensification of agriculture continue to drive deforestation, thereby exacerbating the climate crisis. This study examines community contributions and challenges to community forest management in the Kedjom-Keku community, in Cameroon. A mixed-methods approach was employed to collect data from 50 purposively selected respondents, complemented by informal discussions with a forest conservator and a community researcher, document review and field observation, in order to gain insights into local community contributions and challenges faced in community forest conservation. The results indicate that the ancestral roots and existence of Kedjom-Keku are closely associated with the Abongphen forest, and that the community engages in forest management practices, such as reforestation, with the aim of sustaining the forest. Community members respect the authority of the traditional palace institution and the fon as the main stakeholder (78%) in sustainable community forest resource management and governance. The major challenge to improved management of the Abongphen forest is bush burning (44%), apparently driven by agricultural expansion. In this study, we argue that inclusive management is essential for forest sustainability, and that traditional authorities, non-governmental organizations, and governmental and municipal stakeholders should leverage community actions in order to steer future pragmatic forest co-management.